• Pl.ONEERS OF OLD Hf)Pf\\ LLl. By RALPH EGE HOPEWEi.f., :\". J RACH ,'v, f.A \" r l :Cr. 190S. This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world’s books discoverable online. It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that’s often difficult to discover. Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book’s long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. 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About Google Book Search Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world’s books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http://books.google.com/ 1 WW m BRIGHT LEGACY Oae balf tbe illeome from tbla Leper, wblcb wu re­ ce!Yed In 18ao nnder tbe will of JONATHAN BROWN BRIGHT of Waltham, Mueacbmetu la to be expended for boob for tbe Collep Library. The otber IWf of tbe lneome la deYOted to ecbolanblr In Harnrd t1 n!Yenlty for tbe beadt of dacenduta o HINRY BRIGHT, JR., wbo died i.t Watertowa1 MauachmelU, in 1616. la tbe aboence of ncb d-dantl, otber penou are eligible to tbe ecbolanblpo. Tbe will reqalrea tbat tbla anaoance­ meat •ball be ..... ill eYery book added to tbe Library ander Ito pn>Ylllou. ... -------------- -----· . -- PIONEERS OF OLD HOPEWELL 3 PREFACE. The genealogical articles contained in this book were begun in May, 1901, for publication in the Hopewell Herald, and at the time of the author's death, August 7, 1905, thirty-three of them had ap­ peared in the columns of that paper. These, together with fifteen unpublished manuscripts, have been collected and are now put into permanent form. Although many changes have taken place in families mentioned, as well as in the ownership of property in the few years that have elapsed since these were written, it has seemed best to published them as they came from the author's pen. Ralph Ege, the author of "Pioneers of Old Hopewell," was born November 23, 1837, in a house erected about 1715, by Dr. Roger Parke, "on the north side of Stony Brook at Wissamenson." A part of the 400 acre tract was purchased by Samuel Ege, men­ tioned in article 1, the great grandfather of Ralph Ege, and re­ mained in possession of the family for nearly one hundred years. This farm is described in article 32, and the whole Parke tract in article 33. Adam Ege, mentioned in articles 25 and 26, the great great grandfather of Ralph Ege, was born about 1725 and came to this country from Germany when about thirteen years of age. He was accompanied by two brothers, George and Martin. George settled in Cumberland Co., Pa, where a large number of his descendants still reside, and are eminent in church and state. The name of Martin appears as one of the witnesses to a deed given to Adam in 1759, and is supposed to have settled in Philadelphia. That the family was of prominence in Germany, is evident from the fact that the Ege coat of arms is to be found on the tombstone of one of the family, who many years ago was Burgomaster of the town of Esslingen, Wurtemburg, Germany. A genealogical family tree was drawn by Ralph Ege some years ago. It is seven feet in height and carrying the descendants 4 PREFACE of Adam Ege to the present day, contains about eleven hundred names. Adam Ege was left in the care of Mr. and Mrs. John Hobbs who had no children of their own, and brought him up as their son, giv­ ing him a liberal education for the times. In a deed dated April 14, 1759, for the sum of one hundred pounds, they conveyed him their farm one-half mile southeast of Woodsville, and it remained in the family for one hundred and thirty years. Mr. and Mrs Hobbs were prominent in the history of the Baptist church of Hopewell and much interested in Isaac Eaton's school (article to and footnote article 24). At Mrs. Hobbs' death she left a legacy to the school, for the "education of young men for the ministry." Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs are buried in Hopewell near the comer of the church, their graves being marked by tall brown stones. Adam Ege married about 1748, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Hunt and they had eight children, viz: Samuel, Jacob, Elizabeth, Sarah, Nathaniel, Hannah, George and Andrew. Samuel Ege, the eldest son of Adam, born June 24, 1750, mar­ ried May 28, 1774, Anna, born June 7, 1755, daughter of John Titus, Jr., and Anna Smith who was the daughter of Andrew Smith and Sarah Stout (articles 14 and 21). They settled on the home­ stead near Woodsville, and in 1776 Adam moved to Harbourton where he spent the remaining years of his life, He is buried in the Harbourton church yard. Through the Titus family the line is traced to Rev. John Moore and the Howell family (article 29). Samuel Ege and Anna Titus had ten children, viz: John, William, Sarah, Andrew, George, Mary, Anna, Titus, Mahala, Nathaniel. Samuel Ege died August 22, 1829. John Ege, the eldest son of Samuel, born May 6, 1775, married first, Jan. 15, 1801, Mary, born December 12, 1779, daughter of Ralph Schenck of Amwell. She died Jan. 15, 1834. John Ege married second, Zilpha Decker, widow of Jonathan Hunt (article 7). The Schenck genealogy is one of the most complete ever pub­ lished. The family is said to have derived it'> name from Edgar De Schencken, chief butler to Charlemange, who about the year 798 granted to Edgar a title of nobility, and assigned him a coat of arms, the shield being in the form of a goblet, and the name De Schencken signifying the "cup-bearer." The line of descent is traced from Edgar, through the Barons of Fautchberg, to Chris­ tianus of 122~, then to Wilhemus and Ludovicus to 1346, when it PREFACE s is taken up in direct line. (1) Hendrie Schenck Van Nydeck; (2) Hendrick ; (3) Derick; (4) Derick; (5) Derick; (6) Derick; (7) Gen. Peter; (8) Martin; (9) Rocliff, emigrated from Holland in 1650, settled at Flatlands, L. I.; (10) Garret; (11) Roeliff; (12) Garret; (13) Roeliff (Ralph); (14) Mary, married John Ege. John Ege and Mary Schenck had three children, viz; Ralph Schenck, Anna and Andrew. John Ege settled on the farm pur­ chased by his father for him in 1801, and lived in the house now occupied by Amos Sked until his death, November 24, 186o. Andrew Ege, youngest son of John Ege, born February 16, 1813, married November 16, 1836, Sarah Ann, born November 24, 1818, daughter of Abraham J. Voorhees, the sixth generation in the line of Steven Coerte Van Voorhees, whose history is given in a foot note to article 12. Abraham J. Voorhees married Maria, daughter of Uriah DeHart of Ten Mile Run, (article 22, foot note) who was the sixth generation in the line of Simon DeHart a French Huguenot who emigrated to this country in 1664 and settled at Gowanus, L.